PDG - Lessons Learned

3.1.10 Lessons Learned

Documenting and sharing lessons learned is a critical part of Integrated Project Delivery. Lessons learned from every aspect of design and construction will need to be identified and catalogued. As an example, a safety issue identified on one site could have impacts on projects at any site. As the resolution is determined onsite, it will be evaluated by a Program lessons learned management group, and determinations made as to its suitability for other sites.

Who Captures Lessons Learned?

Lessons learned will be captured at various points:

Policy Level Issues: The overall Program, managed by the State of California, may need to incorporate policy changes into the Prototype or on specific construction sites.

Construction Lessons Learned: Opportunities will arise during construction and off-site pre-fabrication. Lines of communication will be established in accordance with:

• Zones: Project site divided geographically. Workers share information about neighbors, obstacles, soil conditions
• Areas: Defined by building type. Workers constructing same building type in different zones share assembly tips, material issues, sequencing
• Trade Partners: Share lessons directly between sites. Communicated to supply chain management and Prototype Control Team
• Major Suppliers: Communicate issues including delivery schedules, delivery locations, fabricated materials
• Employee to Employee: Most basic level -- electrician to electrician, site manager to site manager

Target Value Design Lessons Learned

TVD offers many opportunities to capture lessons. The entire process forces designers and contractors to learn lessons by winnowing sets of choices. TVD can be thought of as "forced lessons learned."

• Prototype Design: First TVD process identified areas for improvement including square footage reductions, price reductions, operational efficiencies. This led to a 20% reduction in expected cost. The Prototype becomes the permanent record of the improved product.
• Site Adapt: TVD records lessons during site adaptation. Universal issues related to changes in the Prototype are identified and recorded.

Other Tools

• First Run Studies: Allow for "testing out" the design for quality and construction means and methods
• Development of Standard Work: Avoids "re-inventing the wheel"
• Continuous Improvement: Even standard work is subject to improvement. The PDCA cycle requires continuous evaluation

How Will Lessons Learned Be Documented?

Workers at all levels must constantly look for opportunities to improve. Once improvements are identified, there is an even greater need to document and share. Lessons learned should be comparable to a "trip hazard" -- flagged in a way that forces workers to slow down and review.

Methods of documentation:

BIM and the Prototype: BIM files created and updated continuously, allowing lessons (especially design details) to be documented and shared. BIM can flag hazardous work zones with safety alerts as layers of the BIM model. Icons indicate different types of lessons learned (safety vs informational).

Database with Checklist: A searchable database allowing users to search by key words, division, zones, areas and subject matter. Online form includes a checklist identifying persons who need to review the information. Automatic tickler sends information to identified participants.

Regular Meetings: At Program, site, and employee level. "Lessons learned" as a line item on every agenda. Regular retrospective events to discuss what to keep doing, stop doing, and start doing.

Person-to-Person: Through the Community of Practice, fostering open exchange among peer and competence groups.

Incentives and Rewards

Programmatic Incentives: Lessons learned -- learning, sharing, using -- will be criteria for application of negotiated incentives. Contractual obligations and incentives together create responsibility for participants to share all ideas across the entire Program.

Employee Rewards: Acknowledged and rewarded for identifying, documenting and sharing lessons learned:

• Recognition at team meetings
• Making lessons learned part of team incentive criteria
• Award programs including gift cards, recognition lunches

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